Texas and hard cider may not be synonymous, but Houston entrepreneur Jake Schiffer is trying hard to change that.

The founder and CEO of the Houston-based Leprechaun Premium Hard Cider is poised to pitch Texans (and the rest of the country, for that matter) the cold, crisp, flavorful joys of American craft cider. The time is right, it seems, for Leprechaun to find its own pot of gold.

Only weeks ago, the Houston-based company relaunched the brand with new packaging, and last year it forged a production deal to manufacture the cider at Vermont Hard Cider Co.'s new $33 million cidery in Middlebury, Vt. Before that, the cider was produced in Oregon, and production was limited to kegs and 22-ounce bottles.

With Vermont Hard Cider producing, Leprechaun is now available in 12-ounce bottles sold in four-packs. The product line includes Golden Cider (a semi-sweet cider with flavors of apple and pear), Dry Cider (a bright, dry, European-style cider that tastes of tart green apple and is likened to an apple Prosecco) and Pomegranate Cider (crisp, subtly sweet, slightly tart flavors of pomegranate and cranberry). The cider is sold at Spec's, Central Market, Kroger, H-E-B and Whole Foods Market stores.

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Instructions: Place the cabbage on a cutting board, core side down. Using a large, sharp chef's knife, split cabbage from top to bottom. With one hand, hold the cabbage at an angle and make a thin cut down the interior side to make very thin ribbons. Continue shaving until the cabbage becomes hard to handle. Repeat with the second half. Place shavings in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with the sea salt to help break down the fibrous texture of the cabbage.

Remove fennel tops and reserve for garnish, if desired. To shave, repeat the technique applied to the cabbage or use a mandoline - a kitchen utensil consisting of a flat frame with adjustable cutting blades for slicing vegetables. Place root portion in the palm of your dominant hand and press along the blade carefully to create thin rounds of fennel. Add to the bowl of cabbage.

Prep the mint, parsley, green onions, then apple. Add in succession to the cabbage. Top with Caraway seeds. Toss.

For the dressing: Combine olive oil, yogurt and lemon juice in a small bowl. Add Leprechaun cider slowly to thin to your liking. Pour over salad and toss vigorously to coat.

Salad can be served immediately or at room temperature. Flavors improve and develop after 24 hours in the refrigerator. Keeps for 3-4 days.

Dry Cider BBQ Sauce & Marinade

Makes 8 cups

½ cup salted butter

3 medium vidalia (sweet) onions, chopped

1 bay leaf

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 24-ounce can tomato paste

2 bottles Leprechaun Dry Cider

½ cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon ground yellow mustard

1 tablespoon ground celery seed

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 tablespoon Maldon smoked sea salt, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ cup brown sugar

¼ cup maple syrup

¼ cup blackstrap molasses

¼ cup favored sriracha

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

Instructions: In a heavy-bottomed pot, melt butter with onions, bay leaf and garlic until they begin to soften, 5-10 minutes. Remove. Meanwhile, stage the other ingredients near the stove. Remove bay leaf before moving on.

Add the tomato paste first, stirring together with the onions. Mixture should be hard to stir and will begin to stick to the sides of the pot. We want the tomato paste to brown a little. After 5 more minutes, add cider and cider vinegar and let sizzle for a minute before stirring to combine. Reduce heat and add all remaining ingredients. Stir as you go to prevent clumping. Cover and allow to simmer for an hour. Add more cider if the mixture feels too thick.

After an hour, remove from heat. Transfer in batches to a high-powered blender or food processor to purée. Return to a clean pot on the stove and taste-test. Does it need more salt? More maple? Is the mixture too thick? Use your intuition to add ingredients to best suit the sauce.